Chinese Phone Maker Ditches Headphone Jack: Is iPhone Next?

China's LeEco continues to grow its Le Ecosystem with today's announcements of an autonomous electric vehicle and three new smartphones.

Notably, the new Le 2, Le 2 Pro, and Le Max 2 phones ditch the headphone jack, something that is rumored to be in the works for Apple's iPhone.

Cupertino hasn't confirmed anything, but rumors about the demise of the headphone jack on iPhone prompted an online petition that garnered over 300,000 signatures. See the video below for what PCMag's Sascha Segan thinks about the move.

LeEco, meanwhile, also showed off the LeSEE concept car today in Beijing, which sports connected features like self-driving and self-parking.

Without giving much away, the company said its Tesla Model S rival will reach top speeds of 130 miles per hour, provide isolated areas for passengers to enjoy their own entertainment, and display data on a smart screen at the front of the car. And, like other prototype self-driving vehicles, the LeSEE's steering wheel folds away, allowing more room for you to kick back and relax during the daily commute.

This isn't LeEco's first foray into cars: The Chinese firm recently invested in Aston Martin and Faraday Future—maker of the Batmobile-esque FFZERO1 high-performance electric vehicle concept that wowed CES audiences in January.

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